The King’s Golden Statue
King Nebuchadnezzar built a huge golden statue and commanded everyone to bow down and worship it. He warned that anyone who refused would be thrown into a fiery furnace. But Daniel’s three friends—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—refused to bow because they only worshipped God.
Daniel 3:17-18 (NIV) says:“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it… But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
Thrown Into the Furnace
The king was furious and ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter. The three men were tied up and thrown
in. The heat was so intense that the soldiers who threw them in were killed! But something amazing happened.
God’s Protection
When the king looked into the furnace, he was shocked. Instead of three men, he saw four! The fourth looked like “a son of the gods.” God had sent an angel to protect them.
